مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Udder Health Status Based on Somatic Cell Measurements of Holstein Cows in Menemen Research and Application Farm of Agricultural Faculty of Ege University

Abstract :

The purpose of this study is to investigate the status of udder health based on somatic cell measurements of Holstein cows raised in Menemen Research and Application Farm of Agricultural Faculty of Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. The California Mastitis Test (CMT) was conducted 45 times in total at about one-month intervals from May 2004 through April 2008 on all milking cows (between 83 and 122 cows) in the Faculty Farm. In addition, electronic somatic cell counting was performed on cow composite milk and quarter foremilk samples taken from all milking cows (between 103 and 124 cows) on various dates from September 2007 through December 2009. All the CMT tests were conducted by the same person using the CMT liquid manufactured by the same company. The CMT reactions were scored as 0 (negative), 1, 2 and 3. In most of the months in which the CMT was conducted, the proportion of the CMT positive quarters was below 20%, and the proportion of the CMT positive cows was below 45%. The mean somatic cell count (SCC) in quarter foremilk samples in various months ranged from 159.700 to 249.400 cells/mL, and the overall mean was 215.600 cells/mL (n=7620). The mean SCC in cow composite milk samples in various months ranged from 190.400 to 311.900 cells/mL, and the overall mean was 264.200 cells/mL (n=5646). The proportion of quarter samples with SCC ≤100.000, 101.000- 200.000 and 200.000 in various months ranged from 53.1 to 67.3%, from 12.1 to 18.9%, and from 19.8 to 28.8%, respectively. The proportion of cow composite milk samples with SCC ≤100.000, 101.000-200.000 and 200.000 in various months ranged from 33.1 to 55.1%, from 17.4 to 29.5%, and from 23.3 to 43.2%, respectively. The mean SCC in the herd was found to be quite lower than the legal maximum. However, individual cow SCC values showed that intramammary infection was present in a certain part of the herd (in cows with SCC 200.000 cells/mL).